The Road to Romania.

“Steady!” I whispered as I quickly pushed open the stable doors startling the horses inside.

“Steady.” I repeated not quite knowing who I was talking to, myself or the beasts.

I led my horse from his stall and saddled him quickly. I lead him from the stable and kicked him into a gallop. But I didn’t get far from the border of the village before I pulled on his reigns easing him to a halt.

We stood there in the early morning light, my horse confused as to what I was doing and me confused in myself.

I couldn’t stop myself, I slipped from the saddle and crumbled right there in the snow like a rag doll that had lost its stuffing. My horse looked at me his confusion only mounting.

Even if he could understand a word I spoke I could not find any way to articulate the mixture of emotions that raged inside me and reduced me to this fetal position.

I sighed dropping my head on to my knees.

One thing was certain, it had been obvious since the day those village boys had first chased me from my home only now I accepted it. I could never return home. But I also couldn’t return to Russia all I could do know was kept running.

Maybe I’d stay with the animals they never managed to make me feel as alienated as I did now, even when they tried to hunt and kill me.

“Come on.” I whispered to my horse pulling myself to my feet and shaking the snow from my coat but failing to shake the word from my mind or the memories it evoked.

I cursed the word and Electron for using it! I cursed myself for letting it affect me after all these years and then I cursed my mother for allowing this. But my anger did little more than scare my horse and wake the old anger resting inside me.

I looked back at the village I’d just fled; I was still close enough to see Electron on her stallion riding through the wakening streets the foxes mask around her neck bouncing as she rode.

Fool! Didn’t she know what the mask was for? The sight of her did not help my anger.

“Let her freeze to death!” I told myself but I kept watching her.

She kicked her horse into a gallop and darted quickly from the village and turned her horse, not the direction of Russia but towards Romania!

I frowned, why would she go there?

My god she was a spy!

I waited a second before pushing my horse into a gallop and beginning my pursuit.

Since the peace between Russia and Siberia stumbled into existence a feud began between Russia and Romania. If the storyteller’s tale held any truth it was because Emperor Saber had caused their princess to be turned to stone. Once the prince Syllabus had died, Siberia had tried to pull out of its agreement. Saber blamed the death of his brother on Siberia but his father would not let him go into war with them. So instead a band of thugs broke into the Siberian castle and nearly destroyed it, almost annihilating the royal bloodline. It was around that time Saber's father died of a poisoned drink, I mean heart trouble. Emperor Saber came to Siberia's aid and Russia paid for most of the reconstruction of the palace. Afterwards, Siberia had found itself in a debt to Russia that they couldn’t possibly pay and a grudging loyalty. Only the terribly naive believe Emperor Saber had nothing to do with the attack.

In recent years rumors arouse about Romanian consults contacting the Siberian royals about an alliance against Russia and possible destruction of the Empire. If word was correct, Romania had gathered a large following of countries that would fight to see Russia in flames. As for Russia, the idea of a land without Emperor Saber was a popular desire. There were very few on his side. Those who did not pray for his demise or pledge themselves to his side were curious as to how he would avoid this seemingly inevitable defeat, I was one of those.

Story summary

Frost bitten Russia, dominated by the cruel Emperor Saber lays background to a tale of loves race against time. A magical retelling and combining of the Grimms Brother's 'The Riddle', 'Beauty and the Beast' 'Cinderella', 'Sleeping Beauty', and 'Aladdin'.

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